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Amadel Experiment

Last Sunday marked my first working of the Spring equinox, East quarter of the Almadel. This art is found in book four of five in the Lemegeton.

The wax tablet, candles, and other equipment were all fashioned the previous Sunday on the Spring equinox. It took me from the first hour of the sun on Sunday (around 7am) till about 5pm that same day with no breaks in between. ( kitchen was a mess!)

The oratory was set up and the practice commenced at the same hour the following Sunday. The creation and decided form of the proper Almadel tablet took many previous months of planning and researching to feel I was working with a cohesive system that made sense. (At least to me) A couple of the divine names were somewhat confusing at the initial reading. They seem to have been translated from Hebrew to Greek, and then back into Hebrew again. It was the first time I had seen TETRAGRAMMATON spelled out with Hebraic letters instead of using the YHVH. Other words seemed to be misinterpreted from their original translations. All in all it was not too difficult after comparing the three or four Almadel versions I came upon thanks to Joseph Peterson.

The morning of the operation began with my sense of alignment and magical focus lacking. The previous week (after the creation of the Almadel) was full of other interests, distractions and obligations which did not necessarily lend to a focused-magical state of mind. Nevertheless, the procedure was worthwhile with the effects that occurred after a couple recitations of the initial invocation. I’m hopeful further operations in this art will be more successful as I continually became distracted by minor irritations during this particular experiment.

There were a few issues which seemed to detract from what might have been a seamless scrying experience. First, the uncomfortable position of kneeling which I didn’t think would be such a bother kept me from maintaining my focus. ( The text dictates you should be kneeling all the while).

The tending of the coal and incense of mastic caused me to take my eyes and mind from the alter a couple times. Finally, the reading of the invocation from the parchment seemed to switch my mental state between two opposing functions. (Memorized and internalized invocations have always worked best for me, but this one mentions reading it from parchment).

Despite these distractions, I managed to perceive the arrival of a “mist” which seemed to envelope the whole of the Almadel structure. The text reads the angel will descend upon the Almadel as a mist and then be seen clearly in the crystal stone. The mist substance materialized after a second or third reading of the invocation and seemed to cause the whole apparatus to glow/shimmer slightly. This drew in my gaze and after a moment I beheld a rather lovely face wrapped in white ( white hair or hood, I couldn’t tell) that seemed more on the feminine side with a steady expression. I studied the face in the crystal ball a moment, transfixed and rather surprised as my state of being did not seem adequate for such a viewing. I picked up my invocation written on parchment and read my petition aloud. I remember feeling a bit anxious, afraid the vision would disperse before I was able to make my desires known. ( I have trouble reading and using my senses to astraly gaze at the same time) I received little acknowledgment when I was done reading save for a sensation of ‘pleasantness’ as the ‘mist’ seemed to lighten then disperse.

During this session I wasn’t able to hear any messages that might have been transmitted yet later I seemed to receive slight alterations in my thinking and ‘mental perceptions’. My mind and attention have been busied with countless particulars of daily life. In the ecstatic persistence of securing all the items needed for medieval type grimoric work, I’ve found I’ve neglected the time and space needed for clear perception of the untainted mind…and/or WILL. I chastised myself before and after for not maintaining this state I had worked so hard to achieve those many years ago. A realization and humbling return to basics has been my lesson this week. ( and many following ones I imagine). I don’t really consider this experiment a success of anything as my perceptions of the being seemed filtered past clear communication. ( at least on my end). I am confident in the merit of the Almadel art as a working system but feel I will need many more Sundays to achieve any report with the Angels of the four Altitudes.

About the Author

Bryan Garner/Frater Ashen Chassan is a practicing occultist and grimoric traditionalist who has been involved in Western ceremonial magic since 1999. His passions center closely on reproducing experiments from the Solomnic magical text and exploring their effectiveness.
His approach is a serious study of historic forms of magic and spirit communication.
He is the author of Gateways through Stone and Circle, a manual of evocation for the planetary intelligence.
He currently lives in Colorado with his wife and son. Besides his occult pursuits, he enjoys the outdoor activities of Colorado, studying celtic myth and legend, and teaching at Kashiwa Bujinkan Ninjutsu Dojo, his Japanese martial art center.